CONSUMER COUNCIL
5
Six papers supported a proposal by Dr. Chung Sze-yuen to vest more power in the Consumer Council to help in its fight against profiteering.
SING PAO (October 30), WAH KIU MAN PO (Octobr 31) and KUNG SHEUNG EVENING NEWS (October 30) referred to a recent case in which the Consumer Council could not publish a "controversial report" on the quality of edible oil sold in Hong Kong for fear of being sued for libel.
SING PAO said: "Many people wish to fully understand the quality of edible oil being sold in Hong Kong before they shop, and they would have had a standard to judge it by if the Consumer Council had issued the report."
The paper and WAH KIU said the Council's work was closely related to
the livelihood of the people, especially in terms of health.
WAH KIU said: "The public's health can be endangered by the sale of foodstuffs and drugs whose contents are not fully indicated, and the Government should take action to plug these loopholes instead of leaving the public to suffer from profiteering."
The paper said the Council two years ago proposed regulations governing weights and measures but that the Government had delayed their implementation on grounds of lack of funds. The reason was unacceptable, it said.
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KUNG SHEUNG suggested that the authorities should expand the Consumer Council and give it power to prosecute profiteering merchants.
"If this is not possible, they may as well disband the Council instead of wasting public funds," it said.
SING TAO JIH PAO (October 30) suggested that the Council be given power to make sample checks on foodstuffs on sale and to publish the results.
The paper said: "The authorities must state clearly the Council's administrative responsibilities so that its work will not clash with or duplicate that of the Urban Services Department."
WAH KIU YAT PO (October 30) said since the Government had spent a great sum of money in setting up the Consumer Council, it should now_consider granting it more power to effectively carry out its fight against profiteering merchants.